Blast-furnace



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BLAST PURNAGE. No. 594,578. Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

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BLAST FURNACE.

No. 594,578. Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

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f ul Improvements in Blast-Furnaces, of which bell, but mounted upon a track, so as to be UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

MAXIIWIILIAN M. SUPPES, OF LORAIN, OHIO.

BLAST-FURNACE.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,578, dated November 30, 1897.

Application iiled April 10, 1897.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, MAXIMILIAN M. SUPPEs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lorain, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usethe following is a specification.

My invention relates to blast-furnaces, and has for its object to provide a new and improved form of charging apparatus at the top of the furnace.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows in section the top of a blast-furnace embodying my invention. Fig. 2'shows, in larger scale, a section at right angles to that of Fig. 1.

In general terms a blast-furnace embodying my invention contains the following features: The top vof the furnace is closed by means of the usual bell, above which is what I term a distributing-car-that is, a car or other receptacle placed centrally over the moved to one side, as will be hereinafter described. This car is for the purpose of properly and evenly distributing the charge upon the furnace-bell, and the charge is first received by it from any suitable conveyer, as a skip-car, adapted to elevate it from the stock-yard. Around the distributing-car is placed a seal or shell resting upon the top of the furnace and` fitting closely'around the distributing-car. This seal prevents the escape of the furnace-gases when the bell is lowered for the purpose of vallowing the charge to pass into the furnace.

I will now describe the construction shown in the drawings more in detail.

1 is the body of the furnace,having in its top the hopper 2 and bell 3, this bell being operated by power-cylinder 4, working through levers 5, rods 6, and yoke 7. Across the top of the furnace is the track `8, upon which travels the distributing-car 9. This car consists of a fixed body portion open at the bottom and having suspended below the bell 10, leaving an annular opening between the two. This opening is closed by the vertically-movable shell 11, which is in. turn operated by suitable power-cylinder 12 through the medium of levers 13 and rods 14. This shell 11 has around its upper edge the iiange 15, adapted Serial No. 631,546. (No model.)v

to engage the upper face of the seal or casing 16, which is carried upon the top of the furnace 1. Through the seal are a number of openin gs 17, closed by suitable doors 18, and also openings 19, through which pass rods 6. This seal is divided into two or more pieces, as will be hereinafter described. Around the ltop of shell 1l is the ring 20, which is made in a number of pieces and is adjustable upon shell 11, the object of it being to enable adjustment to be made in the joint between shell 11 and body 9 in case either becomes distorted from any cause. Likewise to provide for freedom of movement and at the same adapted to automatically discharge its loadin'to the distributing-car 9. iThis skip-car may be operated in any suitable manner, as

vby the rope 24.

Alongside the track 8 I provide the track 25 of widerY gage, and upon it I mount the crane 26 for use in handling any of the several parts during process of repair at any time. The handling of these heavy pieces has heretofore been a source ofv great trouble, but by this construction and use of the crane this trouble has been reduced to a minimum. Being of wider gage, the crane is enabled to pass the distributing-car, they being thus independent of each-other.

In operation the material is brought up from the stock-yard in the skip-car 22, which automatically dumps it into the distributingcar 9. When the car is properly charged, the shell 11 is raised by power-cylinder 12 and the charge iiows evenly down into hopper 2. This hopper is adapted to hold several loads from the distributing-car, and at the proper time this material is dropped into the furnace by lowering the bell 3, which is then raised into position and ready for another charge.

.The seal 16 is for the purpose of preventing the escape of furnace-gases when the bell 3 is lowered for the purpose of admitting the charge intovthe furnace. The doors 18 are what are termed explosion-doors for the purpose of relieving the seal 16 of undue stress IOO should the gas at any time explode. This seal is made in a number of sections, and in case it is necessary, as it often is, to get at the bell or hopper of the furnace for repairs or replacement this seal may be parted through the center and moved aside. The car 9 may be moved along track S, the movable shell ll being secured to the body of the car by means of chain and hooks 27 or other suitable carrying device connected with eyebolt or lug 2 on iiange 15, the levers 13 being disconnected. The crane 2G may then be brought into use and any repairs or changes quickly and easily effected.

As there is a possibility of the body of the car 9 or the shell ll becoming warped out of shape while it is in use, it would be impracticable to have the shell ll anything like a close fit around car 9. I therefore form the bore of this shell considerably larger, and upon it I place the ring 20, made of a number of segments and adjustable upon the shell ll. These segments may be adjusted from time to time, as necessary, and a sufliciently tight joint always maintained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

l. In a blast-furnace, in combination with the furnace, a distributing-car located permanently at the top of the furnace but movable upon a horizontal track, a bell forming the bottom of said car, an annular orifice bctween said bell and the side of the car, a vertically-movable shell adapted to close said orifice, a gas-seal extending from the furnace to the vertically-movable shell, an inclined track extending downward from above the distributing-car, a skip'ear upon said track and suitable means for operating the several parts.

2. In a blastfurnace, in combination with the body of the furnace, a gas-seal covering the hopper above the f urn ace-bell, a verticallymovable shell passing through an orifice in the seal, a distributing-car whose body extends upward from said vertically-movable shell, a second bell supported by and below said distributing-car body and an inclined track extending downward from a point above said distributing-car, a skip-car upon the track, and means foroperating the several parts.

3. In a blast-furnace, in combination with the furnace, a distributing-car supported above the hopper of the same, a sealing member inclosing the space above the hopper, a vertically-movable shell surrounding the distributing-car body and adapted to retain the load in the distributing-car and means of operating the several parts.

l. In a blast-furnace in combination with the furnace, a track extending across the top of the furnace, and a distributing-car adapted to travel upon said track, a secondary track of wider gage than and parallel to, and inclosing the first-mentioned track and both tracks passing centrally over the furnace, and a movable crane carried on the second track.

5. In a blast-furnaee-eharging car, in combination with the body of the car having a fixed shell, and the vertically-movable shell, the adjustable ring E20 formed of separate sections and secured to one of said shells in such manner as to closely engage the other shell.

Signed at Lorain, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, this 27th day of March, A. D. 1897.

MAXIMILIAN M. SUIPICS.

lVitnesses:

FRED W. WATERMAN, G. M. FERGUSON. 

